Camber correction tool



Nov. 18, 1947. H. wocHNER CAMBER CORRECTION TOOL Filed Dec. 16. 1944 s sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 18, 1947. l H. wocHNER 2,431,291

CAMBER CRRECTION TOOL Filed Dec. ie. 1944 3 sheets-sheet '2 Nov. 18, 1947. A H. wocHNER CAMBER CORRECTION TOOL Filed nec. 1e. 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 18', 19147 STATES PATENT OFFICE- Bear Manufacturing Company, Rock Ill., a corporation of Delaware Island',

Application December 16, 1944, serial No. 568,529

2 Claims. 1`

This inventi'on relates to bend-ing tools andis more particularly' concerned with a tool of this type-adapted for ilse in bending the steering 'knuckle supporting arin of the type now commonly provided in yknee action front wheel assemrblies of automobiles', for the purpose of correcting the c'ainber of a wheel associated therewith.

More 4particularly this invention contemplates the provision of a camber correction tool adapted for use in bending .steering knuckle supporting arms for the purpose of either increasing or decreasing th-e camber `of a wheel, depending upon Athe direction in Which force is yapplied to the end of the bending tool.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bending tool of this `type adapted for use with various makes of automobiles for correcting the camberof the front wheels thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide va tool of this :type in which'a head is provided with va pair of vopposing Work engaging jaws 'formed with parallel opposing work engaging faces arranged in offset relation, and in which a lever arm is detachably connected'to the inner1 end of the head ior radial adjustment about the -longitudinal axis 'of same. The bending tool preferably comprises 'a pair of interchangeable work engaging heads, one which is adapted for Ause in correcting the camber of the right front .wheel while the other head is adapted for use in correcting the camber of the left front wheel.

This invention embodies other 'novel features, detailsof construction and arrangement of parts which-are hereinafter set forth Ain the specification and claims, and illustrated in thev accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View showing a I@amber correction'tool embodying features of this invention asapplied to the steering knuckle supporting arm of the .right front Wheel of an automobile for increasing Vthe camber thereof.

Fig. :2 is a front elevational view showing the fcamber correction tool equipped with the left hand wor-k v'en'gagfing head and applied to the 'steering knuckle supporting arm of the left front wheel yof an automobileffo'r increasing the camber thereof.

Fig. 3 'is fa front eleva-tional View showing the bending tool 'engaging thefsteerin'g knuckle supporting armo 'the front 'right Wheel of an autoffm-obile 'for decreasing the Ycamber thereof.

Fig'. i is va front elevational 'view showin-g the bending tool engaging .the `steeringknuckle supporting arrn of the left front wheel for decreasin the camber thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detail front elevational view showing the right hand work engaging head employed in correcting the camber of the right front Vwheel of an automobile.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational View of the same.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View of same taken along the line 'l-l' of Fig. 5.

Fig. "8 is a side elevational View of the assembled bending tool showing the means employed for detachably connecting either the right or left hand work engaging head in rotatively adjusted 'position on 'the lever arm.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, Figs. 1 to 4 show a typical form of knee action wheel mounting for automobiles in which the steering knuckle II is pivotally connected to a supporting arm I-2 by means of a king pin I3. The ends of the steering knuckle supporting arm I2 .are pivotally connected to the outer ends of a pair 0f connecting links I4 and IB which, in turn, are pivotally connected at vtheir inner ends to the chassis or other portion of an automobile. It is known by those skilled in this art that the camber of Wheels may readily be corrected .by slightly bending the upper portion of the steering knuckle supporting arm I2 in the proper direction. For increasing the camber of a wheel the steering knuckle supporting arm I2 is bent outwardly, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and for decreasing the camber of Wheels the steering knuckle supporting arm `I2 isbent inwardly, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. While the type of knee action suspension for front wheels of automobiles ,shown in the drawings is typical for the various makes of automobiles, the size and arrangement of the several parts are somewhat varied and usually require the use of special tools particularly designed for use with predetermined automobile designs. The bending tool shown and hereinafter described is adapted for use in correcting the camber on most, if not all, of the several makes of cars.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. l, 3 and 5 to 8 in the drawings, the camber correcting tool for use with the right front wheel of an automobile is shown as comprising a right'hand head I1 formed with flattened side walls i8 and I9 and outwardly projecting work engaging jaws 2I and 22. The jaws 2| and 22 are formed with work engaging faces 23 and 24, respectively, arranged n opposing and offset parallel alignment on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the head. At vthe 4outer ends of the work engaging 3 faces 23 and 24, the jaws are formed with overhanging lip portions 26 and 21, respectively.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 5, it

'will be noted that the jaw 2l projects outwardly noted, by referring to Fig. 5, that the work engaging face 23 provided on the jaw 2l is of relengaging face 24 on the jaw 22.

The head I1 is provided with a centrally dissitions of the jaws 2Ia and 22a on the head I'Ia are reversed from the positions of the jaws 2| and 22 on the head I1. In other words the jaws 2| and 2Ia are always arranged to engage the outer side of their respective supporting arms I2 and 12a while the jaws 22 and 22a are disposed to engage the inner sides of their respective supporting arms. The work engaging head I1a is Votherwise similar in construction and operation to the head I1 heretofore shown and described V in connection with Figs. l, 3, an'd 5 to 8 in the drawings and similar numbers followed by the letter a are provided to indicated correspondi ing parts.

y 15 atVely Small width as compared with the work* In Fig. 2 the bending tool is shown in position for engaging and. outwardly bending the upper end of the supporting arm I2a for increasing the posed longitudinally extending aperture 28 to re-' i ceive a bolt 29 which is threaded to receive a nut 3l. The outer end of the aperture 28 is formed hexagonal at 32 to snugly receive the head portion 33 of the bolt. The inner end of the head I1 is formed with a plurality of teeth 34 for interlocking engagement witha plurality of teeth 36 formed on a lever arm 31 which is detachably connected to the inner end of the head and radially adjustable with respect thereto by means of the bolt 29. The outer end of the lever arm 31 is oifset at 38 in parallel alignment with the longitudinal axis of the head I1 to extend beyond the outer ends of the work en- -gaging jaws 2l and 22.

In the operation of the bending tool thus described for increasing the camber of the right front wheel of an automobile, the tool is mounted in engagement with the upper portion of the steering knuckle supporting arm I2, as illustrated in Fig. l in the drawings, and pressure is preferably applied to the offset portion 38 of the lever arm 31 by means of a manually operable hydraulic jack 39, causing the work engaging jaw 22 to bend the engaged upper portion of the supporting arm I2 outwardly. By thus bending the supporting arm-I2, the wheel spindle I0 is moved downwardly, as indicated by the arrow, to increase the camber of the Wheel.

To decrease the camber of the right front wheel of an automobile, the bending tool is mounted on the supporting arm I2 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and force is exerted against the outer end of the lever arm 31, causing the jaw 2| to act against the supporting arm I2 and bend the engaged portion inwardly to raise the spindle I I) and thus decrease the camber of the wheel.

Due to theY relatively long bending Vleverage provided for bending the upper portion of the supporting arm I2, it has been found that very accurate camber adjustments may be provided for the wheels and with little effort on the part of the operator. Due to the particular construction and arrangement of the jaw members 2I 'and 22, the tool is suitable for use with many, if not all, of the various sizes and forms of steering knuckle supporting arms now provided on knee action wheel mountings of automobiles.

Figs. 2 and 4 show the use of an interchangeable work engaging head I'Ia which is employed for correcting the camber of the left front wheel of an automobile. It will be noted that the head I1a is provided with work engaging lugs 2 Ia and 22a which are similar` in form to the jaws 2! and 22 provided on the head I1 heretofore described. However, it will be noted that the pocamber of the left front wheel of an automobile, while in Fig. 4 the bending tool is arranged for inwardly bending the engaged portion of the upper end of the supporting arm I2a for decreasing the camber of the left front wheel.

It will be noted that a tool of the type thus shown and described is relatively inexpensive in construction, may readily be applied for use in correctingthe camber of automobile wheels for either vincreasing or decreasing the camber of same, and is adapted for use with either the right or left hand steering knuckle supporting arm by merely interchanging the work engaging heads I1 and I'la. In the use of a tool of this type itV has been found to be essential to provide a relatively long leverage for accurately correcting the camber of wheels as a relatively short leverage tool has a tendency to bend the supporting arm beyond the point of correct camber.Y AnotherV reason the tool is provided with a relatively long leverage for correcting camber is to have it long enough to clear the steering rods, knee action supports and to make it possible to bend the it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a camber correction tool for bendingY a steering knuckle supporting arm to increase or decrease the camber thereof, a head provided on said tool, a pair of work engaging jaws projecting outwardly from the face of said head on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said head, one of said jaws having a relatively wide fiat face and the other jaw having va relatively narrow flat face, said jaw faces-facing toward each other in overlapping offset relation, and said jaws .being spaced apart a greater distance than the width of the steering knuckle supporting arm upon which tne tool is designed to operate, and being so located that lines from'said axis to the centers of the jaw faces make angles with the nearest portions of said faces of less than'90", the'inner adjacent corners of said jaws beingdisposedto engage opposite sidesof a steering knuckle supporting arm for decreasing the camber of the arm, the outer corners of said jaws being disposed to engage opposite sides of a steering Yknuckle supporting arm for increasing the camber of the arm.

2. In a camber correction tool for bending a steering knuckle supporting arm to increase or decrease the camber thereof, a head provided on said tool, a pair of work engaging jaws projecting outwardly from the face of said head on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said head, one of said jaws having a relatively wide at face and the other jaw having a relatively narrow flat face, said jaw faces facing toward each other in overlapping offset relation, and said jaws being spaced apart a greater distance than the width of the steering knuckle supporting arm upon which the tool is designed to operate, and being so located that lines from said axis to the centers of the jaw faces make angles with the nearest portions of said faces of less than 90, the inner adjacent corners of said jaws being disposed to engage opposite sides of a steering knuckle supporting arm for decreasing the camber of the arm, the outer corners of said jaws being disposed to engage opposite sides of ay steering knuckle supporting arm for increasing the camber of the arm, and a lever arm detachably connected to the inner side of said head for adjustably positioning the lever arm radially about the longitudinal axis of the head.

HENRY WOCHNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Pub. by Bear Mfg. Co. describing "Bear Camber Corrector #1932, Dec. 1943. 

